Account Executive, Commercial

KONG; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kong Inc. in London is seeking an experienced Account Executive to drive new business selling Kong Konnect Platform to mid-market enterprise accounts. You will be the face of Kong for prospects, owning the sales cycle from qualification to close.

The role requires 2+ years of direct enterprise software sales, ideally with open source/API/infrastructure software, plus strong negotiation, presentation, and closing skills. A track record in fast-growing startups is a plus.

Qualifications

• 2+ years direct sales experience selling enterprise software to small- to mid-size organisations.
• Experience with open source, APIs, and/or infrastructure software.
• Strong negotiation, presentation and closing skills.
• Effective communicator with strong interpersonal abilities.
• Experience in fast-growing startups is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Sell Kong Konnect Platform on Kong's Commercial sales team.
• Meet and/or exceed individual quota, objectives and KPIs.
• Take ownership to build and manage your book of business, including pipeline management and closing.
• Collaborate with pre-sales, post-sales, channel partners, and leadership to drive new business.

Skills

Enterprise software sales

Open source / APIs experience

Negotiation & closing

Territory planning

Outbound pipeline management

Job description

About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced sales professional, ideally with open source experience who will be selling into mid market enterprise accounts. The ideal candidate has been a part of the sales efforts for other early-stage enterprise products in an entrepreneurial setting. The Account Executive will be integral to our growth plan and in acquiring new customers. Kong's Account Executive will be the primary point of contact and the face of Kong for our prospects.

What You'll be doing:

• Sell Kong Konnect Platform on Kong's Commercial sales team.
• Meet and/or exceed individual quota, objectives and KPIs.
• Take ownership to build and manage your book of business, which includes understanding and documenting the buying criteria and process, determining the appropriate motion and patterns, ensuring pipeline accuracy based on evidence, and working the leads to closure.
• Collaborate and leverage an ecosystem of resources including pre sales, post sales, channel partners, customer success and leadership to promote Kong and drive new business.

What You'll bring:

• A true desire to see customers benefit from the investment they make with Kong.
• 2+ years of experience in direct sales experience selling enterprise software to small to mid-size organisations ideally with open source, APIs, and/or infrastructure software.
• Effective communicator and strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent negotiation, presentation and closing skills.
• Experience with fast growing startups is a plus.
• Strong background in territory planning and revenue generated from outbound pipeline.
• You have a measurable track record in new business development and over achieving sales targets.
• Knowledge of MEDDIC and Challenger methodologies is a plus.

Preferred:

• A top performer with experience hunting and closing net new logos.
• Experienced with creatively sourcing companies outside of your CRM.
• You have previously worked in an early-stage company and you know how to navigate and be successful in a fast-growing organization.
• Motivated, collaborative, driven and results oriented.

About Kong:

Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong's unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic - on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.